Manning gives Broncos different view of Ravens

Denver QB has 4-2 record in Baltimore

ENGLEWOOD -- Think root canal. With no anesthetic. Think paper cuts, hammer to thumbs, stubbed toes and smacking your head on the corner of the kitchen cabinet door.

The Broncos are 0-for-Baltimore since the Browns became the Ravens, but this time they bring Peyton Manning along for the ride. And a team that has made the transition to purple by building what was one of the league's most stout defenses season-after-season is in a fairly big club when it comes to Manning.

"Peyton Manning is a great quarterback," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We've had great battles against him, and I think he'd be the first one to tell you that. He's made trouble for a lot of teams over the years, so we're looking forward to it. It's going to be a big challenge."

"We'll see, man," Ravens safety Ed Reed said. "Peyton has a history playing against us and we have history playing against him."

Manning is 8-2 against the Ravens in his career, 4-2 in the six times he has faced the Ravens in Baltimore, including 1-0 in playoff games in the Ravens' home stadium. The total includes 19 touchdowns combined, to go with eight interceptions and the Ravens didn't sack Manning in four of the 10 games and sacked him once or less in eight of the games.

Manning's two losses to the Ravens were the first two times he faced the team -- once as a rookie in '98 and once in 2001, both in Baltimore.

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Broncos defensive tackle Justin Bannan, who spent four seasons with the Ravens and faced Manning four times in Baltimore's defense, was asked this week if it would be a good feeling to be on the same sideline as Manning during Sunday's trip.

"Yeah. That's nice," Bannan said. "I know when I was in Baltimore, we never beat Peyton and the Colts. It is nice to have No. 18 with us. We've got to win on all fronts this week. We've got a lot of work to do. It's a huge game."

For their part this season the Ravens haven't lived the defensive lifestyle they've become accustomed to. This past Sunday, without outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and linebacker Ray Lewis in the lineup because of injuries, the Redskins piled up 472 yards worth of offense in Washington's overtime victory.

That included 172 yards rushing, 122 of that from rookie Alfred Morris. This, from a franchise that once went 50 consecutive games without allowing a running back to top 100 yards in a game.

This season the Ravens have allowed more than 30 points in a game three times, four quarterbacks have topped 300 yards passing and four teams have rushed for at least 170 yards against them.

"We know we have to be clutch in these last few games," said Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger. "(Manning) is definitely a challenge. He's done it for a long time now. He's seen everything, but we know we have our destiny in our own hands. We just have to make it happen."

Reed said the Ravens have played well at times -- he pointed to the team's No. 10 ranking in points allowed. The issue has been inconsistency.

"Just technique stuff, small stuff, knowing your assignment and playing it to a T," Reed said. "This is a game of inches. You don't have time to be a step too deep when you're supposed to be underneath or eyes in the backfield if you're playing man as a safety. Offenses make headaches for you sometimes, man. Experienced quarterbacks make headaches for you."

The Ravens come into the game with a little more intelligence on Manning than most. Former Colts quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell, who was with the team for each of Manning's four MVP awards, is the Ravens quarterbacks coach. Caldwell also earned a heat-of-the-moment promotion when the Ravens fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron Monday.

"The thing about that is Peyton Manning is aware of that as well," Harbaugh said this week. "He knows what Jim (Caldwell) knows about Peyton, so it's one of those kinds of deals. There is no smarter quarterback than Peyton Manning. He's right up there with that group of guys. He's been doing it for a long time. With him, it really is a chess match that way. It's still football. Those chess pieces are slamming into each other. There is an intellectual element to the game that we have to be very aware of. Jim has a handle on that, but Peyton understands that, too."

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